June 18, 2023
Day 2: Train Ride
Amtrak was Early!
Today was literally a down day. Mike is snoozing after breakfast…
After boarding the train on time because Amtrak was actually early, we settled in to our roomette and were asleep shortly after boarding. If you have had the experience of sleeping on Amtrak in such accommodations, you know that it is quite cozy sleeping arrangements. When arriving at night, the beds have already been converted for sleeping. The bottom bed is converted from the chairs used to sit in during the day, while the upper overhead bunk is pulled down. The person who is shorter and not afraid of confined spots does well in the upper bunk. Sleep at last…
Last night, our sleep was intermittent; I don’t know if we have ever had a perfect train ride sleep. Well, except for the first time we rode the train and it hit a car that was left on the tracks and we sat, unbeknownst to us, for three hours while Amtrak personnel filled out paperwork. No, passengers don’t feel the crunch of the train and the car - crazy, I know. We just thought it was a really comfortable ride and didn’t understand what others complained about. Anyway, the swaying, rocking and jolting of the train while sleeping can actually be hypnotic but can also cause a restless sleep.
We love incorporating a train ride into our adventures, and Amtrak makes it pretty pleasant with showers, beds, water, coffee, and meals where passengers get to dine with other passengers. I really love that part of the day as we meet others and hear of their adventures. The food isn’t that bad either. Okay, I am not saying that it is luxurious by any means, but I kind of feel like it’s a throw back in time to the days where train experiences such as this were common.
Today’s agenda was as follows:
- Awaking at six and dismantling beds into seats
- Mediocre meh coffee, which we fortify with Starbucks Instant Via
- Breakfast with a mom and daughter pair traveling to Bend from San Diego
- Back to the room for email and correspondence (There is usually cell reception.)
- A beat down cribbage game (Mike beat Dawn.)
- Reading
- Sleeping
- Lunch with a couple from Stockton
- And now, blogging
So, it is 3:00 pm, and we are due to arrive in Tacoma by 6:30 pm where we will grab our bikes from the baggage car, where we wheeled them on last night, and then load them back up with our panniers. We have about a mile to the hotel tonight. For those that are curious, we carry mesh bags with us that we load our panniers into for the train ride. These bags can be carried onboard the train and not checked in. We carry one pannier and our helmets into our room, but the mesh bag goes on a luggage rack outside the room; it is not possible to put all the luggage in the room; they are just too small.
Today’s photo highlights:
Until tomorrow…
Today's ride: 1 mile (2 km)
Total: 57 miles (92 km)
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